Donald Trump’s top aide, Paul Manafort, is accusing the New York Times of publishing “unfounded, silly and nonsensical” information after the paper published a scathing report suggesting Manafort took under-the-table payments from pro-Russian forces in Ukraine.

“The New York Times has chosen to purposefully ignore facts and professional journalism to fit their political agenda, choosing to attack my character and reputation rather than present an honest report,” Manafort said Monday in a statement.

The Times report alleges a secret handwritten ledger found in Ukraine reveals Manafort was on the books for a previously undisclosed $12.7 million payout. The funds, the paper states, were part of illegal payments to help rig elections in Ukraine.

Manafort denied the allegations. “I have never received a single ‘off-the-books cash payment’ as falsely ‘reported’ by the New York Times,” he stated.

The Hillary Clinton campaign, however, quickly seized on the story and demanded Trump come clean about his campaign chief’s pro-Russian ties.

“Given the pro-Putin policy stances adopted by Donald Trump and the recent Russian government hacking and disclosure of Democratic Party records, Donald Trump has a responsibility to disclose campaign chair Paul Manafort’s and all other campaign employees’ and advisers’ ties to Russian or pro-Kremlin entities, including whether any of Trump’s employees or advisers are currently representing and or being paid by them,” Clinton campaign manager Robby Mook said in a statement late Sunday.

“On the eve of what the Trump campaign has billed as a major foreign policy speech, we have learned of more troubling connections between Donald Trump’s team and pro-Kremlin elements in Ukraine,” Mook added.

Adding to the intrigue, the article going after Manafort was tweeted out without comment by Trump’s former campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski. Tension between Manafort and Lewandowski has been of long standing.